Saudi Arabia seeking to acquire private schools in Spain to set up Islamic centers

Madrid, Spain, Jul 31, 2006 / 12:00 am (CNA).- The government of Saudi Arabia is working through its embassy in Madrid to acquire numerous private schools in Spain in order to turn them into Islamic formation centers, where the Koran and Islamic law would be taught.

The strategy to purchase schools was revealed by the Spanish daily "ABC", which discovered that Saudi Arabia had unsuccessfully tried to purchase school buildings operated by the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. The Saudi plan was to offer $17 million for a school in Madrid capable of holding 350 students. ABC reported that the offer was rejected "because the religious congregation was opposed to selling the buildings to the Saudis because of their intention to convert them into an Islamic school."

The Saudi embassy is now looking to purchase Our Lady of Mercies Catholic school-which is not affiliated with the religious order-also located in the Spanish capital.

ABC reported that the type of Islam which Saudi Arabia would promote in the schools would not directly encourage "jihad" against the West, but it would discourage integration by teaching that "the West corrupts, which in the long term could result in the breeding of future radicals that could be exported to other countries."

"We could find ourselves in two or three generations with even Spanish citizens who reject the Catholic King and Queen and embrace the reclaiming of Al Andalus-the name Muslims gave to Spain," the article warned.